1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the micro-valve assembly, and more specifically to a micro-valve assembly that may be used to control air pressure directed to comfort bladders used in automotive seating applications.
2. Description of Related Technology
People often spend a significant amount of time seated each day. This sitting occurs not only on the job or at home, also while traveling in a vehicle, such as an automobile, truck or motorcycle. Often, when traveling, the seat of the vehicle has no adjustability for the comfort of the seat's occupant, the sizes of which can vary widely from occupant to occupant. As a result, the occupant may become uncomfortable in the seat, and the seat may contribute to fatigue, stiffness or soreness in the occupant after an extended ride in the vehicle.
To combat these problems, seat manufacturers have designed their seats to have increased adjustability. One known designed to increase the adjustability, and therefore the comfort, the vehicle seat is to provide one or more pneumatically inflatable bladders within various parts of the seat. By increasing or decreasing the degree to which the bladder, or each bladder, is inflated, the comfort of the seat can be customized by and for each particular occupant.
To control the inflation and deflation of these bladders, valve assemblies are coupled to the bladders, generally between a pressurized air source and the bladders. These valve assemblies, however, tend to be large and complicated in their construction. The weight and size of the valve assemblies contribute to the overall weight of the vehicle and increase packaging requirements for the incorporation of these comfort features into the vehicle seat. Automotive manufacturers prefer to decrease both of these constraints, thereby allowing for lighter weight and thus better fuel economy and roomier feeling vehicles, both of which are desirable by consumers.